Pocket case with flexible money clip



July 8, 1969 A MACHLERv 3,454,069

POCKET CASE WITH FLEXIBLE MONEY CLIP Filed June 2, 1967 'Rcannld'F-U'I'luchlef BY HWY-77M 0-2117) United States Patent '0 US. Cl. 150-38 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A pocket case for carrying paper currency in which a resiliently flexible metallic money clip is disposed within a flexible case.

Pocket cases of this type have been available for some time as a convenient and compact means for holding and carrying paper currency. These cases are generally made as small, thin and compact as possible so as to be hardly noticeable when carried by a man in his suit or trouser pockets. Despite the compactness of these pocket cases, they have not found acceptance with many men because of their objectionable rigidity in comparison to carrying paper currency without using such a case. The principal cause of this objectionable characteristic is the metal clip or clasp employed to retain the bills in place in the pocket case.

It is the principal object of this invention to provide a pocket case for bills which is entirely flexible throughout its structure.

Another object of this invention is to provide a pocket case of the above type which is of simple construction, consisting of minimum number of parts which can be etficiently and economically manufactured.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will. be more apparent from the following description and by reference to the following drawings:

FIG. 1 is a pocket case of this invention shown in perspective and in open position;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation thereof with portions broken away;

FIG. 3 is an end view of the pocket case of this invention flexed to illustrate a feature thereof; and

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a clasp and pocket case of this invention in separated condition.

With reference to the drawings, a pocket case comprises a folder 12 formed of any suitable material, such as leather or plastic and a generally U-shaped, flexible clip 14 which serves to hold paper currency, bills or other papers in place within the case. As shown, the folder is formed of a sheet of leather or other suitably flexible material which is reversibly folded midway of its length. A sheath 16 or tubular chamber open at both ends is formed by providing a line of attachment 18 parallel and adjacent to the fold line of the sheet forming the folder 12. The sheath serves as a receiver to house one of the leg portions of the clip 14. To form the line of attachment 18, opposed portions of the sheet material forming the folder 12 are secured together in any suitable manner, such as by stitching, heat sealing, bonding or the like. From the line of attachment the holder 12 includes a pair of flexible leaves or panels 20 which are freely swingable toward and away from each other about the line of attachment 18 which in effect doubles as a hinge line.

The U-shaped clip 14 is formed of a flexible material, and comprises one generally straight leg or shank portion 24 which may be removably inserted into the sheath 16, a second leg 28 which extends generally parallel to the shank 24, and a cross portion 26 from the opposite ends of which, the two legs of the clip extend. The clip may either be integral in construction, or as shown, may be formed of separate leg elements 24 and 28 and a separate generally U-shaped cross member 26, in the form of a connector rod, which is appropriately secured to the legs by any suitable fastener.

In the embodiment shown, the leg 28 is of generally arcuate configuration and extends in generally coaxial relationship from one leg of the connector rod 26; the leg or shank 24 extends coaxially from the other end of the connector rod. The leg portions of the connector 26 terminate within the legs 24 and 28 at a distance whereby they impart a desired degree of tension to the legs of the clip 14 but without lessening their flexible character over any substantial length. From the connection 26, the arcuate leg 28 extends inwardly into contiguous or abutting relationship with the central portion of leg 24 and then curves outwardly away from the leg 24, terminating a short distance inwardly of the outer end of leg 24. This configuration provides for easy insertion of paper currency between the two legs of the money clip 14.

The flexible character of the clip 14 is an essential aspect of this invention and in the embodiment shown, this is achieved by the use of a very small diameter coil spring construction, which while flexible does not militate against compactness as the salient consideration in the manufacture of pocket cases. A suitable coil spring construction may be attained by helically winding a fine wire or filament of high carbon spring steel, such as piano or music wire. To attain the desired small diameter rod of helically wound spring steel for use in this invention, it was found necessary to wind annealed piano wire into a hollow tube having an inner diameter corresponding to the desired outer diameter, on the order of .085.175", of the legs 24 and 28 of the money clip 14. For proper tensioning of the wire spring, it is wound against a spring tensioned core member, so that the wire will remain tightly wound, with the turns thereof abutting and under tension. To form the curved leg 28, it may be wound as just described, using a curved tube having the same overall configuration as that of the finished spring leg 28.

After forming, the spring legs are tempered and then secured by any suitable means including silver soldering to the outer ends of the connector rod 26 which is also formed of high carbon spring steel to maintain the legs 28 and 24 tensioned with their center portions contiguous or abutting relation as shown in FIG. 4.

The outer ends of the coil spring legs are preferably fitted with plugs 32 also silver soldered into place in the open ends of the coil. These plugs serve to protect against snags caused by the unfinished ends of the springs. The outer ends of the plugs are also preferably smooth and rounded, thus facilitating the assembly of the clip and folder by insertion of the straight leg or shank 24 into the sheath 16. The sheath 16 is of sufficiently small diameter relative to the outer diameter of the shank 24 so that once inserted the clip will be frictionally retained securely in place in the sheath unless intentionally retracted therefrom. In this connection the undulant surface of the shank 24 aids in the snug retention of the shank in the sheath 16.

With the clasp inserted as shown, the arcuate leg member 28 lies in the cleft formed between the two panels 20 as shown in FIG. 1, and as mentioned above is tensioned to this position as by the spring steel connector 26. It may be flexed outwardly against the tension of both the connector 26 and the spring of the leg 28 for the insertion and/or removal of paper currency from a position underlying the leg 28.

As is evident from the foregoing description and disclosure in the drawings, the money clip embodying this invention may be thought of as a pair of coil springs joined together by a spring bridging member. One of the coil springs provides the shank for positioning the clip in the folder or case, and the other coil spring serves as the currency retaining leg of the clip. With this coil spring construction, both legs of the clip are flexible over substantially their entire length in a transverse direction. Moreover, When the clip is in place in a flexible folder, such as 12, the combination clip and folder is also wholly flexible, including its hinge portion. Indeed, the pocket case, in the embodiment shown, can be folded double across the hinge portion and still snap back to its original shape. With this high degree of flexibility, it will be apparent that a pocket case embodying this invention will readily conform to any body contour and thus the case can be carried with complete comfort in any clothing pocket including the back and even the side trouser pockets.

Thus, this invention provides a billfold of simple constructure which is capable not only of effectively carrying out its principal purpose of holding bills, but also of providing an additional and hitherto unavailable feature of substantially complete flexibility.

Having thus disclosed this invention, what is claimed is:

1. Pocket case for paper currency or the like comprising a folder with a money retaining clip carried therein, said clip having two leg portions and being of generally U-shaped configuration, with each leg portion being helically wound in the form of a hollow tube whereby the leg portions of said clip are resiliently flexible in all directions transversely to the axes of said leg portions.

2. Pocket case as set forth in claim 1 in which said folder is formed of a flexible sheet material with a tubular sheath provided therein, one leg of said clip being disposed in said sheath to retain the clip in said folder.

3. Pocket case comprising a flexible cover member having two outwardly extending flaps and a tubular sheath formed at the intersection of said flaps, a spring metal clip having one leg snugly fitted into said sheath and another leg extending generally parallel to said one leg and in abutting relation to the cover at said intersection of the flaps, each of said legs being of helically wound, hollow coil spring construction with the turns thereof in abutting relation, a spring metal connector of generally U-shaped construction fitted into and bridging the adjacent ends of the coil spring legs and together therewith serving to tension said legs in said abutting relation.

4. Pocket case as set forth in claim 3 in which the outer ends of said connector extend into the open ends of said legs.

5. Money clip of generally U-shaped configuration comprising coil spring leg portions with coils of said leg portions abutting, and a spring metal connector of gen erally U-shaped configuration having its end portions disposed in the adjacent ends of the coil spring leg portions.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 335,299 2/1866 Nourse 24261 872,221 11/1907 Bright. 2,084,738 6/1937 Manker 24261 X 2,455,515 12/1948 Miller 38 2,658,545 11/1953 Weydener et al 15038 2,719,557 10/1955 Bell 150-38 2,928,152 3/1960 Henneberry 24-139 DONALD F. NORTON, Primmy Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 24261 

